For several more days their tortures continued, each being forced to watch and listen to the torments of the other. Star slowly began to loose herself, growing weaker until she no longer seemed to care what they did to her. Or apparently, to Jake either.

Eventually Breaker came back into Jake's cell in his demon form Several chittering imps followed him, carrying a brazier of hot coals. Jake pinned his ears, not liking the look of this at all. The imps set the brazier down near the table rack as Breaker began to unchain Jake from the x-frame. "Not much longer before it's time for the ritual. We need to get you prepared"

Jake countless wounds and sores made it too painful to struggle even if he had the strength and desire left to do so. Breaker took him over to the rack and virtually tossed him down on it. The cinnamon tom yelled out in pain from being slammed onto his badly scared back on the hard wooden surface. His wrists and ankles were chained down, making it almost impossible to move.

Breaker took a large knife with a narrow, thin point, and placed it into the brazier. Letting it sit in the heated coals, he then walked over to the front of the rack, toward the spoke. "The less you try to squirm, the better. No mistakes on this one."

As he then turned the spoke, Jake couldn't help but yell out at the extreme pain as the chains were pulled taught, pulling against him and stretching his body out, opening up the scars on his back and threatening to pull his arms and legs out of their joints. Once the chains were to the point where any tighter could dislocate the kat's arms, Breaker went back to the brazier and pulled out the knife, it's blade now glowing red. Even before it touched his skin, Jake could feel the searing heat from it.

The demon then very delicately began carving into the flesh of Jake's chest. The kat screamed out loudly in pain, but was unable to move as the demon held him down forcefully with one hand while cutting with the other. Jake could smell his own flesh and fur burning, as Breaker carved various strange runes into him. Once the set of runes were completed, he then placed the blade back into the coals for a few more moments. When he brought it back out again, the blade was again glowing from the heat. Around the runes he carved a pentagram, and more of the strange symbols in and around it.

Breaker then proceeded to carve more glyphs into Jake's arms and legs. It took close to four hours to fully complete the process, the demon being very slow and delicate in his work, making sure all the marks were precise. Jake would have preferred to pass out, but the constant pain of the burning blade kept him awake for the entire time.

When he finally finished, Breaker simply turned and left, having the imps carry the brazier back out behind him. Jake was now hurting so badly that he couldn't get any rest at all. His entire body ached, and there seemed to be almost no part of him that hadn't been damaged by the various tortures he had endured.

.

Nearly a full day passed after the branding where Jake didn't see either of the demons return, nor had he been shown any more of Star. After going so long without food and water, his lips were dry and cracked, his throat so raw he couldn't barely speak at all, and his once well-toned athletic body now more emaciated, his ribs, shoulder blades, and hip bones quite prominent against his blood-stained skin. He also had no energy left to fight with, though he no longer had the desire to even try.

When the door finally opened again, Jake opened one eye just enough to glance over. He saw the Demon Lord enter, his usual dark grin on his lupin muzzle. "Only a few more days, but I think your breaking shall now be handed over to someone else."

Jake just sighed weakly and closed his eyes. "So now Breaker got tired of me too?"

"Oh no, I simply have other matters for him to attend to. No, but I do have a surprise for you."

Jake opened his eyes again slowly, but gasped when he saw Star walk in behind the Demon Lord. She was in her kat form, and now wore a black sheer half-top, and black ankle-length silks with light grey runes, the connecting chain around her waist made of a black metal. Her manner was subdued, her eyes downcast. The demon grinned and motioned to her. She walked forward to stand beside him.

"My daughter has finally let go of her mortal emotions. My blood flows strong within her, and soon there will be nothing left but her demon side."

He then gestured to her toward Jake. Star nodded and walked over to stand beside where he was chained down on the rack. Jake looked up at her, seeing that there was no pain in her eyes, only a faint sadness. "Star... what has he done to you..."

"I'm sorry, Jake. But the emotion has been burned out of me. I can no longer feel love. Not to you, or to anyone. I cannot go back now, as my mortal side, hidden within my werewolf blood, has died. There is nothing left but the demon within me now."

"No... No, they... that's not true... Star, you're stronger than that. You've fought it for so long, you can't give up now!"

"It's too late. And soon, it will be too late for you as well."

"What? What are you talking about?"

"The ritual. It requires a mortal sacrifice. And here within Malfeas, your soul will be trapped forever, while it's release will open the portal for my father to return to rule over your world."

Jake was in shock. His heart was pounding in his chest, and he just couldn't believe what he was hearing. He closed his eyes. He knew that this was all his fault. He was blinded by his own desire for her, even though he had already lost her, and allowed himself to be tricked into casting the spell to pull him into this world. And now it would be because of him that Megakat City, and everyone in it, would be at the mercy of this powerful demon.

Star leaned down and kissed him lightly. It was hollow, emotionless, and he didn't return it. He knew that his lover was gone. This creature that stood before him now was not her, and his own spirit had died with hers. He turned his head away, not even wanting to face her. She glanced down at him with a mild detachment, then looked back toward her father. The huge wolf-demon nodded. "Do it." He then turned and walked out, as Star walked over to one of the racks of torture devices.

Jake just closed his eyes, not even wanting to see what was coming. Star looked over the various devices, but ended up taking a glass container full of long, thin needles. They weren't like the mini spikes that Breaker had used, but more like acupuncture needles. Jake didn't see what she was doing, but his ears flicked slightly at hearing her set the glass jar down at the edge of the wooden rack. She then walked over to the spoke and cranked it somewhat, causing him to suddenly yell out in pain as it pulled his already stretched body even tighter, almost to the point of ripping his arms and legs off.

When the pain subside somewhat, he looked back over at her, his ears pinned with a grimace that showed a mix of hate and pain. She didn't even react to his look, her face expressionless. She then opened the jar, setting the lid down beside it. Using the very tips of her claws, Star very gently pulled out the first needle. Jake growled at seeing it. "You couldn't come up with something more original? That's already been done."

She gave a slight smirk at his comment. "Those were different types of needles. Trust me, this is something you're going to feel even more. That is, if you have any feeling left at all by the time I'm through."

"Why are you doing this?"

"Because I have to. My mortality is gone, and in it's place is nothing but pain. And the only way to get rid of that pain, is to sever the ties I had with my mortality."

The she-kat readjusted her grip on the long thin needle, and Jake watched as she lowered it carefully down toward his shoulder. He closed his eyes and gritted his teeth for what was to come. Surprisingly though, he didn't even feel it enter his flesh at all over the strong pain of his mutilated body being stretched to it's full limit.

After a moment, he opened his eyes and looked back at his shoulder in surprise. He could see the needle sticking out of his skin, but could barely feel it at all. "I think you missed."

"Don't be so sure." Star very gently placed a finger to his shoulder just beside the needle, then applied only a light bit of pressure. The instant that she did, a searing pain shot through his shoulder, causing him to cry out in surprise and agony.

Star removed her hand, and the pain slowly dulled. Jake was breathing hard from the shock of it. She gave a faint dark smirk, then reached her claws back into the jar for a second needle. Reaching across him, she gently placed the second one into his other shoulder, in the same pressure spot as the first one. He winced, but she didn't actually apply pressure this time.

She then took a third needle which she placed in his right thigh, and a fourth on the opposite thigh. Star continued slowly applying the needles into various pressure points throughout his body, until there are close to a hundred needles all over him. Jake did his best to remain completely still, though that really wasn't that hard to do given how tightly he was stretched out.

The she-kat finally tool out the last needle and gripped Jake's hand. The slight movement sent minor waves of pain surging down his arm, but he fought to ignore it. Holding one of his fingers, Star slid the needle into the quick of the claw, Unlike all the other needles where he was somewhat gentle, this time she pushed it in hard, causing an extreme pain to surge through him. It set off a chain reaction throughout Jake's body.

Every part of the tom's body was in extreme agony from the needles in his pressure points, and he screamed out and jerked from the massive amount of pain, to the point of several major joints becoming dislocated, including his hips and shoulder, which only added to the pain. Star gave a dark smirk, putting the lid back on the now empty jar and moving it aside. She then turned and walked out, leaving the male in his agony.